How many NA+ ions are in a mole of Na2SO4? How many SO4 2- ions?

Verified step by step guidance

1. insert step 1: Understand the composition of Na2SO4. The chemical formula indicates that each formula unit of Na2SO4 contains 2 Na+ ions and 1 SO4 2- ion.
2. insert step 2: Recall Avogadro's number, which is 6.022 x 10^23. This number represents the number of entities (atoms, ions, molecules, etc.) in one mole of a substance.
3. insert step 3: Calculate the number of Na+ ions in one mole of Na2SO4. Since there are 2 Na+ ions per formula unit, multiply Avogadro's number by 2.
4. insert step 4: Calculate the number of SO4 2- ions in one mole of Na2SO4. Since there is 1 SO4 2- ion per formula unit, the number of SO4 2- ions is equal to Avogadro's number.
5. insert step 5: Summarize the results: In one mole of Na2SO4, there are 2 times Avogadro's number of Na+ ions and 1 times Avogadro's number of SO4 2- ions.

Key Concepts

Mole Concept

The mole is a fundamental unit in chemistry that represents a specific quantity of particles, typically atoms or molecules. One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of entities, approximately 6.022 x 10^23. This concept is essential for converting between the mass of a substance and the number of particles it contains, allowing chemists to quantify reactions and compounds.

Ionic Compounds

Ionic compounds are formed from the electrostatic attraction between positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions). In the case of Na2SO4, sodium (Na+) is the cation, and sulfate (SO4 2-) is the anion. Understanding the composition of ionic compounds is crucial for determining the number of each type of ion present in a given amount of the compound.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to calculate the amounts of substances involved in reactions based on their chemical formulas. In the context of Na2SO4, stoichiometry helps determine the number of Na+ and SO4 2- ions per mole of the compound, which is essential for understanding its chemical behavior.